SIOUX FALLS, S.D. Three former Democratic presidential candidates paid personal respects Friday to former Sen. George McGovern, whose 1972 campaign for president galvanized the party's liberal wing and ushered in a new generation of political activism.

The National Guard has been asked to help South Dakotans recover from a blizzard that lashed the region, and the state may use Black Hawk helicopters to help spot motorists who are still stranded in their cars and trucks, Gov. Mike Rounds said today.

An Argus Leader Media/KELO-TV poll showed a dead heat on Initiated Measure 11, the state's proposed abortion ban: 44% said they'd vote for it and 44% said they'd vote against it if the election were held immediately. The poll was conducted Oct. 13-15, with a sample of 800 South Dakotans who said they are likely voters. The poll's margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.

Two years after South Dakotans rejected a nearly total ban on abortion, voters on Nov. 4 will decide another sweeping but less restrictive ballot measure that would probably send a legal challenge of Roe v. Wade to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Teams from South Dakota, Florida and six other states are vying to extend the U.S. championship streak at the Little League World Series. The three straight victories by American teams is the longest streak since an eight-game run between 1959-1966.